Measuring-machine.



B. A. LUSTER. MEASURING MACHINE. APPLICATION nL-nn' n11. 1a, 1911.

997,840. Patented July 11, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Attorneys.

COLUMBIA I'LANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. u. c.

E. A. LUSTBR. MEASURING MACHINE. APPLIOATIOK FILED 11.15, 1911.

2 SHEETS- BERT 2.

Patented July 11, 1911.

5 5712114 #Q /I/l/d 4 a 1 I 4 w/ZZ 22 2' lnventor,

witnessekb I Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE A. LUSTER, OF ATHENS, GEORGIA.

MEASURING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE A. LUSTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Athens, in the county of Clark and State of Georgia, haveinvented a new and useful Measuring-Machine, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to measuring and calculating mechanism for clothdispensing machines.

The object of the invention is in a ready and accurate manner, tomeasure fabrics in yards and fractions thereof and at the same time toindicate the exact price, whereby likelihood of over or under measuringis practically eliminated and danger of mistakes in calculating thevalue of the vended article is prevented.

A further object is to simplify the construction of the mechanism, andarrange the parts thereof in such manner as practically, to preventderangement in use.

With the above and other objects in view as will appear as the nature ofthe invention is understood, the same consists in the novel constructionand combinations of parts of a measuring and calculating mechanism forcloth-dispensing machines, as will be hereinafter further described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts; Figure1 is-a front elevation of a portion of a machine constructed inaccordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of theprice scale. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the dial and index hand,showing the setting mechanism used in connection therewith. Fig. 4 is avertical sectional View taken on the line 4%, Fig. 5, and looking in thedirection of the arrow thereon. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional viewtaken on the line 5 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view showingthe means employed for holding the heads of the cylinder assembled. Fig.7 is a detail view of a por tion of the mechanism for returning theindex hand to its normal position. Fig. 8 is a detail view in section ofthe hand or pointer used to designate the price of the goods being sold.Fig. 9 is a fragmental detail view in elevation of a part of themechanism for setting the index hand. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of themechanism shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a detail view of a slightlymodified portion of the apparatus.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 15, 1911.

Patented July 11, 1911.

Serial No. 621,374.

Referring to the drawings, A designates, generally, a portion of theframe of the machine, B the cloth roll, C the tension roll, D the knifebar and E the reel, and as these parts may be of the usual or anypreferred construct-ion, further description thereof is deemedunnecessary.

Secured to one side of the frame of the machine is a cylindrical casingcomprising two heads 1 and 2 and a side 3, preferably of metal, theheads being held together by screws t which pass through the side andinto the head, as shown in Fig. 1. If preferred however, the heads maybe secured together by a plurality of metallic clips 5, one of which isshown in Fig. 6, and has at one end an inturned toe 6, seated in thehead 1 and at its other end a prong 7 seated in the head 2. Arrangedwithin the cylinder is a drum 8, the periphery of which is provided witha price scale 9 divided into spaces 10, in which will be placed theprice of a yard of goods, of one and a quarter, one and a half and oneand three-quarters of a yard, each four spaces running circumferentiallyof the drum completing a yard. Extending through the center of the drumis a hollow shaft 11 which is journaled in two partitions 12 arrangedwithin the drum and also in the head 2. This shaft carries two disheddisks 13 and 1 1, the former of which is designed to engage with adished disk 15 carried by a shaft 16 arranged within the shaft 11, andthe latter to engage with the adjacent partition 12, the series of disksconstituting friction plates to prevent the drum 8 from being turnedback accidentally. The disks are held in operative contact wit-h theparts with which they coact by a coiled spring 17 mounted on the outerend of the shaft 16 and retained under requisite tension by a thumb nut18. The outer end of the shaft 16 projects through a dished disk 19 thatis countersunk into the head 2, and thus serves to allow the nut 18 tobe inset so as to prevent an obstruction. The flange of the disk 19 isprovided with a series of orifices 20 that are numbered from 1 to 20 tocorrespond with the divisions on a dial 21 formed on and carried by thehead 2. These orifices are designed to be engaged by an insertible pin22 that is arranged to engage an arm 23 carried by a shaft 24:,journaled in the head 2, the inner end of the shaft having secured to ita second arm 25 of approximate L-shape that is arranged to engage thelever 26 of a bell hammer 27 that is designed to strike a bell 28 andthus give audible notification that the length of fabric has beenmeasured. The lever, as usual, is actuated by a compression spring 29 tocause its hammer to strike the hell or gong after having been tripped bythe arm The tripping of the arm is secured by the index hand 30 whichconstitutes an extension of the disk 19, and the flange of the latterdisk is spaced from the face of the head 2, as shown in Fig. 5, in orderto permit the hand to be turned without interfering with the arm 23. Suppose it be desired to measure three yards of fabric. Under theseconditions the oper ator would place the pin 22 in the orifice numbered3 in the disk, and when the hand is turned and reaches the mark 3 on thedial, the bell lever 26 will trip and the gong be sounded.

The mechanism for actuating the index hand from the cloth roll B,consists of a train of gears designated generally 31, that are carriedby a suitable frame 32 secured to the head 1, one of the gears beingmounted upon a shaft 33 that extends through the rear plate of the framethrough the head 1, and is connected with the cloth roll B. Motion istransmitted from the shaft through the train of gears to the shaft 16and from this to the index hand.

In measuring the length of goods it is necessary first, to set themachine for the price of the goods per yard and this is done by movingthe index hand from zero, as shown in Fig. 3, to 1 on the dial, and thiswill bring the roll of price marks containing the one desired opposite ahand or pointer 36 secured to the side 3 of the casing, the latter beingprovided with a rectangular opening 37, through which the price scaleappears. Below the lower wall of the opening and extending transr erselyof the cylinder is a longitudinally slotted bar 38 upon which isarranged to slide a pointer 39 having a longitudinal slot 40 throughwhich projects one end of a pin 41 that extends through the slot of thebar 38 and carries on its inner end a head 42 to hold it againstdisconnection therefrom. Mounted upon the outer portion of the pin is acoiled spring 43 which is maintained under the desired tension by aknurled nut t-I carried by the outer end of the pin. The lower end ofthe pointer carries a button or knob 45 by which the pointer may bemoved upward or downward across the price scale, the spring 5L3 servingto hold it in its adjusted position. After the index hand 30 has beenmoved to 1 on the dial and the pointer 39 adjusted to the price, it isessential that the hand 30 be returned to zero again, otherwise, inmeasuring a quantity of cloth, it would be one yard short. To securethis result automatically in case the operator should fail of his duty,there is a coiled spring 46 provided. one end of which is fixed by akeeper 457' to the outer face of the dial. This spring is coiled intoone or more loops and its free end is arranged to bear upon a track 4 3also carried by the dial, a stop 41-9 serving to check the movement ofthe free end of the spring toward its fixed end. Secured to the upperside of the index hand adjacent its outer end are two ears 50 in whichis journaled a shaft 51 upon which is mounted a dog 52 that projectsdownward through the hand and terminates in a curved toe 53, the upperend of the dog being provided with a knob 54. The shaft 51 carries acoiled spring 55 which bears respectively, against one of the cars 50and the dog and serves to hold it normally in the position shown in fulllines in Fig. .10, a stop 56 carried by one of the ears 50 serving tolimit the movement of the dog beyond the point indicated by dotted linesin Fi 10.

Instead of throwing the pointer back to zero, in the manner described,this can be obviated by employing a sliding price list 3" which willcover the opening 37 in the drum case, as clearly shown in Fig. 11, andthe pointer 30 may be set relatively to this list without returning itto 1.

Secured on the dial beneath the dog a triangular shaped lug 57 withwhich the toe of the dog 52 normally contacts. In order to make thespring 46 operative to return the index hand to its zero position, it isnecessary that the toe of the dog shall he brought beneath the toe ofthe spring 4:6 and to accomplish this result the dog is moved from theposition shown in full lines in Fig. 10 to that shown in dotted lines,whereupon the spring will slip over the toe, and be held there until thehand is released, whereupon, by the toe contacting with the lug, thespring will again be released. In order to limit the return m vement ofthe hand, an L shaped stop 58 is employed, which is pivoted between twoears 59 disposed on the outer side of the dial, one of these ears having combined with it a spring 60 that operates normally to retain thestop in the position shown in Fig. 10. By this arrangement it will beseen that when the hand is moved, counter-clockwise that the stop willnot offer any obstruction to its movement, as it will. be tripped by thehand, thus to allow the latter to move freely.

In operation, when the number of yards to be purchased has been decidedupon, say ten yards, at five cents a yard, the index hand is moved fromzero to 1, and the pointer 39 is shifted to bring its point over 5,whereupon the index hand is released and is automatically returned tozero. A length of the cloth is now drawn off and passed around the reelE and the crank F is turned until the alarm is sounded, whereupon theoperator will know that the desired length has been measured and uponobserving the price scale, it will be seen that the pointer 39 indicatesfifty cents, the total price of the fabric measured. Of course, thislatter is a very simple calculation but the same rule obtains even wherethe price of goods is not in integers of five.

The improvements herein defined are simple in character but will befound thoroughly efficient for the purposes designed and will result inthe presentation of an apparatus that will be thoroughly reliable andaccurate in measuring and indicating the price of the article sold.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a revoluble price scale, atension roll, a graduated dial, an index hand movable over the dial,means for transmitting mot-ion from the tension roll to the index hand,a pointer coacting with the price scale and shiftable with relationthereto, means for setting the index hand from zero to 1, and means forautomatically returning the index hand to zero when the machine is set.

2. In a machine of the class described, a revoluble price scale, atension roll, a graduated dial, an index hand movable over the dial,means for transmitting motion from the tension roll to the index hand, apointer coacting with the price scale and shiftable with relationthereto, means for setting the index hand from zero to 1, means forautomatically returning the hand to zero when the machine is set, andmeans to check the hand at zero.

3. In a machine of the class described, a revoluble price scale, atension roll, a graduated dial, an index hand movable over the dial, andprovided with a disk having orifices corresponding in number to thegraduations on the dial, means for transmitting motion from the tensionroll to the index hand, a pointer coacting with the price scale andshiftable with relation thereto, a signaling device embodying an armexposed exteriorly of the dial, a pin engaging the orifices of the diskto actuate the signaling mechanism when a predeter mined length ofmaterial has been measured, and means for preventing rearward movementof the price scale.

4. In a machine of the class described, a revoluble price scale, atension roll, a graduated dial, an index hand movable over the dial,means for transmitting motion from the tension roll to the index hand, apointer coacting with the price scale and shiftable with relationthereto, a spring normally holding the hand at Zero, a dog for releasingthe spring to permit the index hand to be moved to 1, the spring servingautomatically to return the hand to zero, and means for positivelychecking the hand at this oint.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

EUGENE A. LUSTER.

Witnesses:

W. P. POPE, R. BRANDT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

